Man sentenced to 3 years for immigration fraud scheme

Man sentenced to 3 years for immigration fraud scheme

Jul. 17, 2017

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for running a fraud scheme targeting Vietnamese people who sought assistance bringing relatives to America.

Federal authorities say 42-year-old Hai Van Nguyen of Lynnwood, Washington, falsely claimed that his company could obtain legal entry into the U.S. for clients' relatives. He defrauded clients of roughly $550,000.

Nguyen was sentenced Monday in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut. He was ordered to pay restitution. He has been detained since his arrest in May 2016. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April.

Victims who paid Nguyen a fee of $35,000 were identified in Connecticut, South Carolina, Maine, Arizona, Ohio and Texas.

An arrest warrant for Nguyen also is pending in Ohio on similar charges.